THE Prime Minister could scarcely have chosen a better person than David Davis to lead Britain's Brexit negotiations with the hard men of Brussels.

Davis, an amiable bruiser of a minister, who sports a broken nose, does not deal in elegant diplomatic language, but talks tough. And he needs to, as well, since his "opponents" have, it seems, transformed into a bunch of grasping Shylocks, demanding not only their pound of flesh, but plenty more on top.

These Brussels grandees are plainly far more interested in what they can squeeze out of the Treasury coffers than the actual political outcome.

The UK, thankfully, has already made clear it will not be prepared to pay the eye-watering sums mentioned in Brussels – sums of money even Premiership football clubs might shy away from.

David Davis was effectively sidelined by David Cameron. At least Theresa May had the wisdom to bring him back into the fold.

Meanwhile, May has been warning potential Tory rebels on Brexit they had better step into line or face the possibility of a Jeremy Corbyn government. There is no telling yet whether these words will have any effect on these diehards when the crucial withdrawal Bill comes before Parliament later this week.

The British electorate voted for Brexit, yet a number of MPs appear to think they know better. It is monstrous that people who proclaim "power to the people" should then do their utmost to try to reverse the people's verdict once it has been delivered.

THE Liberal Democrats are banging their drums and beating their chests in consternation about the Brexit negotiations, making more noise than you would think their puny representation in the House of Commons would justify.

The party leader Sir Vince Cable and his mini-army at Westminster have been talking about "wrecking balls" and thus clearly mean business when the crucial Bill comes before Parliament later this week.

One of the LibDems' former leaders, Nick Clegg, was by no means alone in calling for a second referendum, but went one ludicrous step further than the others. Not only should there be a second referendum, he said, but young people should be given two votes each.

If that is his idea of democracy then he is welcome to it. The Liberal Democrats, and others at Westminster who are critical of the Government's line in these negotiations, should realise they are merely giving the grandees at Brussels aid and comfort.

And that could leave us with the worst of all worlds – surely that is not what the obdurate Remainers want.

"I AM not sure that's a smart idea, mate." These were allegedly the words of Sir Lynton Crosby, the Tories' Australian election guru, when he heard the Prime Minister was going to call a snap poll last June.

If that really was his view, why on earth did he not relentlessly drum home to the Prime Minister that she was taking a terrible risk in suddenly going to the country at that point?

It was then that the Tories were enjoying a 20-point opinion poll lead over Labour. Virtually everyone "in the know" assumed May would emerge with a 50 or so overall majority in the Commons and thus avoid the danger of any effective rebellious backbenchers over Brexit.

Perhaps he did warn May about the folly of her actions and she refused to accept that – more fool her. If that is the case, he should have pressed harder, for, after all, he has the reputation of being one of the world's most eminent election strategists.

But if the reported utterance of his words is simply an excuse for having masterminded the Tories into a disastrous campaign, then it is an entirely different story.